Two months later the City Fields Foundation (CFF) did it again at the Board of Supervisors meeting by promising free pizza and transportation to any kids and their parents who would show up to attend the hearing on whether the Board should accept the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) as submitted. Athletic leagues organized rallies in and around the City Hall and demonstrations of soccer playing were set up.

Supervisor Mar posing for pictures before voting

The front lawn of City Hall was turned into a temporary soccer field, with goals set up and players kicking balls. Supervisor Eric Mar was seen playing with the children and posing for pictures before the hearing. The front steps of City Hall were covered with soccer leagues posing for group photos.

The hearing room was so crammed with children in soccer uniforms and their coaches that speakers were not allowed in. CFF “Team” member Hirsch had arranged for the general public to be shooed away from the front rows of the chambers -- that would show on TV -- so that they could be filled with children in uniforms and CFF sycophants. Hirsch was seen grinning from ear to ear.

Days before the Board of Supervisors' meeting two adult CFF supporters assaulted and physically beat a public health care advocate. As it turned out, CFF had recently targeted the victim on its web site. The advocate had submitted an EIR appeal that CFF believed to be critical of the Foundation. The attackers belonged to an organization with close ties to CFF. CFF had first posted that one of their projects was being delayed by a single Neighborhood Association -- then shortly thereafter, changed the posting to, “being delayed by a single person” -- whose name was listed in the appeal. The two carrying fled the scene carrying pipes that they had brought -- leaving the advocate bleeding from the head with a concussion.

It was discovered that one of the assailants was a San Francisco high school soccer coach and the other was a building contractor. Both were head of coaching and player development for one of the largest local youth soccer leagues in San Francisco, whose organization interacted with many more children’s soccer leagues. After the assault and subsequent vandalism -- the advocate reached out and made face to face pleas to Buell, Ginsburg, CFF, the Recreation & Park Commission, and the Board of Supervisors to intervene and address the animosity that CFF was stirring up in their followers. Not a single official responded. The attackers continued their association with San Francisco youth leagues and the harrasment continued.

CFF SBR project in Ocean View

Opportunistically for CFF; with the public’s attention focused on the EIR, an effective distraction was created that took attention away from another multimillion dollar CFF styrene butadiene (SBR) project that was in the works. While the EIR report was being written and vetted for one field, construction deals for another CFF project in the Ocean View neighborhood were being signed.

Minnie & Lovie Ward grass field removed in Ocean View

The $7 million dollar Ocean View project was similar in scope, yet its impacts would be even more profoundly felt. This project is adjacent to an elementary school and within a densely populated neighborhood. This was a neighborhood park that Ginsburg was on record as admitting to having neglected. With the assistance of Supervisor Avalos, the CFF Team had been allowed to present their sales pitch to the neighborhood leaders -- without any evidence to counter the scientific or medical claims made by CFF.